January brings about a number of suddenly occurring trends. The most notable of these pertain to diets and health as, following a period of festive indulgence, individuals are inclined to make plans for the improvement of their health. While these are admirable goals, they can be difficult to maintain and a number of individuals end up returning to their former habits, both exercise and diet.
While there are a number of reasons that lead to this, it is perhaps affordability that creates the most issues. Our budgets, for example, can be less accommodating than our willpower. Additionally, when first becoming familiar with new foods or sports, we can find immediate costs adding up, deterring us from progressing, and therefore spending more.
Thankfully, there are a number of ways in which a diet can be improved without breaking the bank. In fact, it is often the case that eating more healthily can even be cheaper. To support your new regime and help to improve your diet, here’s how to do just that.
Time Not Money
One of the most effective exchanges in our diets is this: you either spend time or money. If you buy pre-made food, you are spending on the cost of it having been previously prepared. If you were to purchase the required ingredients yourself, you would be able to save money by preparing them. However, this requires time.
So, before you give up the low-fat ready meals for their cost, consider making them yourself, preparing meals in bulk, and spending more time and less money.
Change Your Snacks
While our meals might easily be adjusted, it is snacks and quick dishes that tend to drag us down. This is why our first port of call should be to not remove our snacks entirely but to replace them with healthier alternatives. Some swaps might surprise us, with microwave rice being a better option for our health than, say, a bag of crisps, both of which can be stored in the cupboard and prepared very quickly.
It is often difficult to swap chocolate for raisins and you should also remember that this is okay. A small amount of chocolate, when kept in moderation, can reduce the stress that initially extreme changes to diet can cause, potentially leading to you altogether failing to reach your goal.
Learn Your Brands
Unfortunately, there are many companies looking to capitalise on diet culture and the supermarket shelves will be full of expensive foods that look appealing. As such, those looking to eat well on a budget must make an effort to get to know which brands work for them and meet the needs of their health and wallet.
It is worth trying a few options before you settle on a single choice. The inclusion of different ingredients can be subtle but ultimately make a difference for our own bodies, which will treat some foods as an indulgence, one that it is satisfied by, and others as a chore, which may quickly lead you back to unhealthy options.
